ROTHENBURGER – Appointment of referee for council must be Job One in 2024
(Image: CFJC Today)
WE COULD USE some good news this year, considering that 2023 was, basically, crap cakes.
For 2024 to be better, though, there’s a lot of baggage that needs to be cleaned up. First on the list is this business with the provincial advisor who’s supposed to help Kamloops City council re-invent itself.
There’s still no hint on why former BC Liberal MLA, and former mayor, Peter Fassbender was given the heave-ho after barely getting the job underway. More importantly, still no word on a replacement or what, if any, new terms of reference will be.
The Eby NDP should be embarrassed about this mis-step. It’s an important assignment. Somehow, this referee-to-be has to wade into the meat and potatoes of the dysfunction at City Hall, find common ground between Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson and the Gang of Eight, and miraculously transform them into a Team of Nine.
The province will foot the bill, which is expected to be around $25,000 a month for about four months.
Since it’s now been more than a year since they took office, and there remains not the slightest sign that they’re willing to work with each other despite the occasional olive branch offered by the mayor, it will take a special kind of mediation.
At the end of it, a report is supposed to be written that will provide a game plan. The challenges are many. Personalities and egos must be put aside. Leaks must be plugged. Constant punitive investigations must stop. Temptations to snipe must be avoided. The mayor must be allowed to communicate freely with staff again. Relationships must be developed within the council that include all nine, not eight vs. one.
Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
I find it interesting that much comments seem to sidestep or just not acknowledge that the Mayor also has accountability here.
Everyone likes to climb all over Council as a whole or members individually, but no one wants to suggest that the person in the Mayors seat just isn’t equipped to do the job, and can’t even seem to keep himself out of trouble.
Mel seems to have a reasonably well balanced approach to this
… why doesnt anyone else?
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I think the media have done a very good job over the past year of putting most of the blame on the mayor. Commenters here are just saying that there are other factors at play as well.
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Mr. Trawin and his counterpart McCorkell have much to answer for also in regards to how they spend money and how they manage the city’s lesser know issues including the urban forestry and water potability.
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I think there is plenty of a “hint” as to why Fassbender was “terminated” even before starting. Hence “crap cakes” will underline 2024 too.
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Hopefully a referee will also hold city administration to account. For instance:
(1) Why did CAO Trawin allow the councillors to hold an event in council chambers defaming the mayor, and then declare that event unofficial, giving the mayor no opportunity to seek explanations or redress aside from launching a lawsuit? That unofficial event ticked 6 of the 7 criteria of a meeting according to the BC Ombudsperson’s list–surely the CAO knew that?
(2) Why did Acting CO Passmore tell the councillors they could kneecap the mayor’s standing committees by refusing to serve? Did she not know that the Community Charter states that one of a councillor’s primary duties is to serve on committees as appointed?
(3) Why did the CAO and/or CO allow councillors to attack the mayor during meetings in ways that contravene the Council Code of Conduct?
(4) Why did the CAO and/or CO allow councillors to hold closed meetings without proper notice as required by the Community Charter?
(5) Why did CAO Trawin state that he couldn’t/wouldn’t investigate city hall leaks unless council asked him to, when the Freedom of Information/Protection of Privacy Act requires an investigation regardless of whether the parties involved want one or not?
(6) Why did CAO Trawin allow city staff to send out official media releases from city hall leaking confidential information regarding the agenda of closed meetings?
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Shameful that Council is further draining public funds to the tune of $100K because they can’t work together.
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As the column says, the cost of the advisor will be paid by the Province, not the City.
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These are still public funds Mel.
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Of course. The only difference is that the cost is shared by all provincial taxpayers rather than just Kamloops taxpayers. I was simply clarifying.
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Still public funds though? Just a different bucket?
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